August 30, 2013

Vacation in Paradise

This summer we joined Grammy and Pop-Pop for their annual summer getaway to Kauai. Auntie Erin and Preston also joined us for part of the trip. We spent most days hanging out at the beach, either the beach just across the street from the house or one of many nearby beaches. With the impatient toddler in tow we had to keep our outings short and simple.

The kids' favorite activity was floating in inner tubes with Grammy at Anini beach near the house we were staying at. By the end of the trip Nathaniel was even joining them for their little float parties with a tiny tube of his own.

Kauai is home to feral chickens, they are everywhere. Nathaniel loved to shout out chicken (or sometimes duckling) every time he saw one.

We stopped to see the stunning Kilauea lighthouse perched high above a bird sanctuary. Lillian learned a tough lesson when we saw a bird that had fallen out of it's nest. The ranger informed us that nothing could be done for the little bird and that made Lillian a little sad.

Tunnels beach was an early favorite beach, with white sand, clear water and beautiful accessible snorkeling. On our very last day we visited what was probably everyone's favorite beach Ke'e beach, tucked into verdant hills at the start of the Na Pali coast trail. The beach had tons or wild roosters and some nice snorkeling.

The one downside of life in a tropical paradise is the bugs. Here in California with our dry summers we almost never encounter mosquitoes. Nathaniel didn't seem bothered by the mosquitoes at all, but poor Lillian was covered in welts by the end of the trip. Poor girl seems to be particularly allergic to mosquito bites.